


The Destined

by Morieris



Category: Ever After High
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 17:58:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3946240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morieris/pseuds/Morieris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven won't take her given destiny - what if another Royal did, one who constantly goes above and beyond to make her Apple happy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Proposition

When Briar was called to the Headmaster's Office, it had taken gentle prodding from Apple to get her to wake one late Princessology class.

"...Hrmph?" She jerked her head up with a start, having slept deeper than normal from an all nighter. This class was one that Briar found fairy easy anyway - she was one of the most quitessential princesses, having come from a long line of dozy queens. The other princesses were looking at her with mild interest - it wasn't uncommon to have her drop off.

"Headmaster Grimm wants to see you," Apple replied. "I do hope he hasn't changed his mind about the broken chandelier last night - you did promise to replace it..."

Briar gathered her purse and books, nodding her head forward sharply for her Crownglasses to fall into place from her head to her face. "Don't worry Apple Pie, I'm sure everything is good. See you at dinner."

Her hot pink heels clicked through the somewhat old hallways of Ever After High, enjoying the sunny afternoon filtering through the windows. Briar looked out of said windows down the long hallway, upon the field the Wonderlanders practiced croquet on, seeing Cari Pillar trying to teach Persephone Plumble how the game worked.

The glided stairway to the Headmaster's office stood, white steps with a gold handrail. However, Briar looked to the right - a rickety bucket hanging by a rope. Well, since no one is around...

One pulley ride later, Briar stepped in front of the huge doors, and knocked three times. Magically, the door swung open.

Milton Grimm had his back to her, bent over his desk, standing quickly when he realized Briar had arrived.

"Ah, Miss Beauty." He stepped to the side and nodded to what was on the desk - A tall steaming pot of tea and two cups. "Help youreslf, my dear."

Briar stepped forward and took a seat, taking a cup of tea and sipping at it - Santleberry Tea. Not her favorite, but good for early mornings where she wanted to stay in bed.

Grimm stood and walked behind his desk, looking out of the tall windows upon the grounds of Ever After High. "I hear, despite the prestige and honor that comes with such a story, that you are......displeased with your destiny as the Sleeping Beauty."

Briar gulped, returning the cup to the saucer and knotting her fingers together. She had reservations, and that outburst during the fitting for her Thronecoming dress couldn't have gone unnoticed. But in the end she knew what she had to do - accept her role. "I - well -"

"Understandable."

Briar gave a start. "I - what - 'scuse me?" Was this coming from the Headmaster? The one who had filled their ears with nothing but "Stick to your story or you will die." often with spooky ghost noises? 

Grimm sat in his chair, blocking out quite a bit of the sunlight. "Everyone has reservations - and some are more likely to shirk them than others. But, as you have always been a model student otherwise, I will give you the oppertunity to tell me - here and now - what problem exactly you have with your destiny."

What problem don't I have with it? So Briar outlined every grievance of her story, emphasizing how much she knew she was fortunate to be born not only as a princess, but as a somebody among princesses. How she didn't want to fall asleep for one hundred years and wake to find her closest friends and family dead, to be reawakened in a time she would never quite fit in with. The more she talked about it (With the occasional sip of tea), the better she felt. Sure, Ashlynn knew her feelings, but with the Storybook of Legends retrieved from Wonderland and the idea that she could very well be forced to sign, Briar talked for almost an hour uninterrupted.

A long silence followed.

"I see. You appreciate the prestige, but not the helplessness. To waste a life just to uphold a tradition that Ever After holds so very dear -" He sighed. "I suppose I just don't understand the youth. Very well - Miss Beauty, I will offer you a new destiny - one of my choosing."

Briar's heart stopped just for a moment, her eyes wide. "A-are you serious?"

"You will not sleep for a hundred years. You will be remembered for what you did on top of who you are...if anything, this new story is an upgrade in both action and status. You could have immesurable power."

"Honestly, how much higher can I go? I mean, I am the future Sleeping Beauty." She giddily babbled in response.

"You could be part of the Snow White story."

Briar's smile froze. "But...that's Apple's role. She definitely wants that role."

Grimm stood up once again, turning toward the window to the dusk settling across the land, a beautiful mix of purple and fiery orange. "Jumping the wand, Miss Beauty. I said nothing about taking Miss White's place. Quite the...contrary."

And with that, he didn't have to say anymore as the realization fell into place.

 

Sensing her shock and hesitation, Grimm quickly continued. "Raven Queen does not want her destiny - one of, if not the second most important destiny of them all! This way, you'll be awake, important - remembered." 

"B-but what if we just shortened the time I have to sleep? A hundred years is a downer, sir - what about ten? Or five?" Suddenly, sleeping didn't seem as bad as being the most Evil of Them All.

Grimm sighed, running a hand over his face. "That isn't how the story goes."

"But you even say that our stories won't be exactly like our parents - "

"...True. But that particular aspect is wrapped in powerful magic - it would take a hundred years to even break it and reapply a less harsh one."

"But - but who will be Sleeping Beauty?"

"You know Duchess Swan - she is much like you. I can find any girl with no destiny in the village to take her place. I will allow you to think upon it for a few days, but I will come calling again Miss Beauty - or, perhaps, Briar Queen?"

When Briar cocked her head and squinted in confusion, Grimm coughed, "We'll figure out the name schematics later. Good day, Briar." The girl stood up, curtsying as best she could, and walked out the door, throwing her hair back over she shoulder, taking out her Mirrorphone. Maybe checking her hexts would distract her from her shaking legs.


	2. Spell Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Briar talks to one of the two people heavily affected by this potential choice.

Briar had left the headmaster's office in a cloud over his proposition.  
  
_Would I still have this magical narcolepsy?_  
  
She was vaguely aware of the air around her growing cooler and took a closer notice to her surroundings; Briar stood on the side of the path leading up to Ever After High, in the shade of a large triangular topiary.  
  
  
Not wanting to face anyone - living pawns in destinies they did or did not want - she continued along the path to Book End, through the sparse collection of trees before the Troll Bridge.  
  
  
_Would I give up my classes?_  
  
  
In reality, Briar would probably keep Princessology - she would just be a Princess with an Apprenticeship in Evil. General Villainy instead of Damsels in Distressing, shifted to the  _dark, hard, and metal side_  of Throne Room Design...  
  
"My, my, It's Briar."  
  
Briar quickly turned around to see the pale, glittery Faybelle Thorne flying from around a shrub. With a jolt, she realized that abandoning her story would leave Faybelle without a destiny unless someone stepped up - and who wouldn't? - but currently, she felt the same way she always did when seeing the Dark Fairy - mild annoyance at someone who would be happy to curse her.  
  
"Hey, Fay. Come on." She said, anticipating the girl's request.  
  
Faybelle smiled and broke out into cheer. " _Forget about all of the rest, leave it to Briar to be the best!_ " She touched down and walked alongside her protagonist. "Sooo....where exactly are we going?"  
  
Up until then, Briar didn't know. She still wasn't all that sure. "To get something to eat. Maybe Peter Pan Cafe - Jack's Deli - we'll see."  
  
Faybelle turned to look at her, staring hard. "What's up with you? Was it about your visit to Ole Grimm's office?"  
  
"Wait, you know about that?"  
  
" _Hello -_  you are  _Briar Beauty_  - there's a betting pool on when you'll drop to sleep at various times of day. The only one the school watches closer than you is Apple. Spill, spill, spill!"  
  
"Not here - it's kind of a big deal." Briar took Faybelle's hand and quickened her stride through the sparsely populated streets, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. The running helped clear her mind just a bit, forcing her to focus on the obstacles immediately in front of her eventually ducking into a dark, rounded, booth in Jack's Deli. "You're buying me dinner for that race." Grumbled Faybelle, stretching her wings out.  
  
"Look -" Briar leaned close.  "Grimm offered me a -"  
  
Faybelle quickly flicked her hand, a gesture to stop. "We've got minimum wage company." She said, nodding toward an oncoming waiter.  
  
"Don't say that - Tonklin! Hi!" Like a light switch, Briar was immediately open toward the short troll waiter, who held a passable conversation for someone blushing and stammering. After placing their orders (Faybelle opted for a vegetarian wrap with Dark Fairy plum sauce and Briar got a Dumpty Quiche with Spring of Broccoli soup), they waited in a rather awkward silence until their drinks had been served.  
  
"Thanks, T." When he was well out of earshot, Briar continued. "Grimm doesn't think Raven will take her destiny - ever. She's spellbound against it."  
  
Faybelle sipped at her cola. "Welcome to last year - we knew this."  
  
"Fay, will you just - Anyway, he heard I had...reservations about my destiny."   
  
"What." Fay dropped her glass onto the table with a thunk. "You're going off script?" Her voice turned into that deep, echo-y tone she unleashed when she was angry.  
  
Briar frowned. "I didn't say that!" e  
  
"Im-pli- _cations_! I know what you're getting at!" Faybelle, glowered over a quivering lip. "How could you?"   
  
"I don't want to sleep for a hundred years - you get to curse me and live it up and be evil and do things, Fay. We'd find someone else - what peasant girl wouldn't want to step up and become a legend - but I don't know if I can do it. You understand that, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, but..." Faybelle pouted, her voice deflating  "I was counting on you being my princess - er, protagonist - to curse. I've known you since we were nursery rhymes and I might have to ... meet some random stranger!" She took a deep breath, calming her growing hysteria and now grimacing. "I'm good, I'm -  _good_. What next?"  
  
"Well...Grimm is offering me her destiny." Briar whispered, "He offered me the destiny of the Evil Queen."  
  
There was a pause. Then Faybelle breathed through her nose in a chuckle.  
  
Soon, it turned into full blown laughter.   
  
Briar couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Uh, ha ha, Fay, really funny."  _No, it isn't._  
  
"Oh, Briar." Smiling at her, Faybelle reached around the drinks and took her hand. "That's actually  _amazing_!"  
  
Briar didn't like the feeling of being so speechless so often, but here it was again. Fifth time today.  
  
"Instead of  _me_  cursing you, we could curse people  _together_!"  
  
To be honest, that  _did_  sound spelltacular. "But - our story -"  
  
"Oh, pooh!" Fay shook her head and made a dismissive gesture with her free hand. "Like you said, some poor sap will  _jump_  at the chance to take your place!"  
  
This was completely unhexpected. Briar would have eventually talked to Faybelle about it of course - it was her story too. But so soon had just been a coincidence - and her elation at it was completely out of left field. She couldn't believe that there was someone out there pushing her to be evil willingly - and she thought her birthright was hard. Was this was Raven felt like when she had walked into Ever After High?  
  
"Oh - say you'll take it. Imagine the  _titles_  - Briar Beauty, the Greatest Evil Ever After Had Ever Known -"  
  
As if to remind her of her origins, the heavy feeling began to creep behind Briar's eyes, but for once, she welcomed the curse.  
  
"I bet you'd have amazing magic - all pink and black and awesome - "  
  
With a jerky nod, Briar slipped onto the cushion, not invincible to hearing Faybelle's happy ramblings, but not obligated to respond immediately.  
  
"Oh goody -  _and_  I win today's pool! They said you wouldn't drop so close to bedtime, but I knew my Briar - or, should I say, my fellow spellcaster...."


End file.
